Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind

Miss Julia, a recently bereaved and newly wealthy widow, is only slightly bemused when one Hazel Marie Puckett appears at her door with a youngster in tow and unceremoniously announces that the child is the bastard son of Miss Julia's late husband. Suddenly, this longtime church member and pillar of her small Southern community finds herself in the center of an unseemly scandal - and the guardian of a wan nine-year-old whose mere presence turns her life upside down.

Crowned and Dangerous

Nothing is simple when you're 35th in line for the British crown, least of all marriage. But with love on their side and plans to elope, Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her beau, Darcy O'Mara, hope to bypass a few royal rules....

On a Wing and a Prayer: Dorsetville, Book 4

Popular author Katherine Valentine pens the highly anticipated fourth novel in her beloved Dorsetville series. On a Wing and a Prayer is an enchanting portrait of life in a quaint New England town "where miracles are never far away". The 12-year-old Gallagher twins fall through the ice on Fenns Pond and need a miracle of their own. Father James, the parishioners of St. Cecilia’s, Doc Hammond, and all the regulars at the Country Kettle Café struggle to keep their faith as God’s will is eventually revealed.

Grace Will Lead Me Home

Katherine Valentine’s two previous Dorsetville novels enchanted listeners with lovable characters and rich humor. The third installment delivers more of the day-to-day intrigue and comic happenstance only found in Valentine’s endearing community. All is not well in Dorsetville - the sheriff is ill, tragic news awaits Lori Peterson - but in a close-knit community like this, there is no shortage of neighborly care to get you through life’s twists and turns.

Precious and Grace: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 17

Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's premier lady detective, is a little short on help. The codirector of the agency, Grace Makutsi, is busy with her own case, her client none other than their erstwhile assistant, Mr. Polopetsi, who has unwittingly involved himself in a pyramid scheme. The agency's other assistant, Charlie, may also need more help than he can offer, as he is newly embroiled in a romance with a glamorous woman about whom the others have their doubts.

At Home in Mitford: The Mitford Years, Book 1

It's easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable. Yet Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won't go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that's 60 years old.

Louisiana Longshot: A Miss Fortune Mystery, Book 1

It was a hell of a long shot.... CIA assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever - in Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price placed on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off-grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element.

Property of a Noblewoman

Faded photographs of a glamorous couple in postwar Europe. Old letters hinting of tragic loss. And a breathtaking array of magnificent jewelry, spectacular stones in exquisite settings. These are the contents of a safe-deposit box long abandoned in a New York City bank. If no heir can be identified, the jewelry will be auctioned. But who was the woman who left such a fortune and no will?

A Miracle for St. Cecilia’s

A Miracle for St. Cecilia’s is a heartwarming story that all lovers of Christian fiction will find uplifting and entertaining. St. Cecilia’s, an old, outdated Catholic Church in a small New England town, is about to be closed down, much to the dismay of the faithful townsfolk. What will become of Father James Flaherty and the aging Father Keene - and what of the flock? When faith and hope endure, even miracles are possible.

The Prayer Box: A Novel

When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out the rambling Victorian house. Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, dating from Iola's youth to her last days.

A Gathering of Angels: Dorsetville, Book 2

Brimming with pleasing plot twists, this heartwarming sequel to best-seller A Miracle for St. Cecilia’s demonstrates the power of prayer and the courage of compassion. Robbed by his construction partner, Barry struggles to complete a riverfront hotel and pay off menacing mobsters. But while he and dozens of other denizens of Dorsetville await God’s help, a series of events helps transform the town forever. John McDonough strikes just the right balance as he enhances Katherine Valentine’s cozy, feet-up-on-the-footstool tone with his comfortable cadence.

Publisher's Summary

The first three books in award-winning journalist Charlene Ann Baumbich's Dearest Dorothy series won her a congregation of adoring fans for her pleasant tales set amid the good people of Partonville. The fourth entry in the series contains all the hopes, heartache, happiness and inspiration her readers have come to cherish.

First year marketing students who are studying what not to do to a good author's work.

What did you like best about this story?

The wonderful interplay of the title character and her immediate "hooker" friends.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator is afflicted with the inability to read the male characters with any real, um, 'masculinity'. Even the adult males sound as if they've spent just a bit too much time watching Oprah without a break. The adolescent characters? Forget it! Josh (as well as the others) needed to sound more masculine.

At times, in certain plot segments, it became a distracting focal point that made listening without ill-timed laughter next to impossible.

That, coupled with fewer appearances from Dorothy, made us begin to wander mentally as the audio book was playing. (Shopping chores, oil changes due, etc).

We eventually became bored, and completely lost interest in this whole series, in view of the title character, Dorothy, being reduced to little more than a brand; only trotted out occasionally to sell more 'product'.

It's a shame. The series started out so strong, and was *almost* starting to be a contender worthy of the Mitford series by Jan Karon. Alas, it was not meant to be. Unfortunately, it sounds as if some 'editor' got a hold of it, and then made matters worse by listening to a marketing exec. A real shame. Very sad.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Initially, great joy, at times humor, but as the series started to unravel from poor editing, a great deal of sadness.